Instrumental excursions from the Pryda Friends Family protegee means only one thing, that this veritable treasure trove of talent understands the mechanics involved in making his audience make unending shapes on the dance floor..The expertise of his musical brain makes him one of the best in the electronic dance music space since the time he’s hit consoles as a young find from the Prydz stables, and he continues his restless and relentless march conquering every path he travels. More-over his artistic success is no quick flash in the pan…Getting to it with Jeremy Olander just before he embarks on a quick tour of India with underground power house lycan sLick! is a pleasure, all mine…

Hi Jeremy, been 6 months since we chatted at your last outing in India. How have things been since 2013 and what’s keeping you busy these summer months?

JO- Things have been great, thank you. Been making loads of new music and have been touring quite a bit. Just recently came back home after about a month in North America where I played a bunch of club shows, as well as some really cool festivals like Mysteryland and EDC in Las Vegas. Really nice experience.

The all important question, what inspired you to become a Dj?

JO- I actually started out producing first and being a DJ was something that came naturally later on. Ever since I finished my first track I started thinking in terms of how a club crowd would react to it. For me the two really go hand in hand.

You’re quite the computer geek and would rather tinker around with gadgets and music stuff. What’s exciting you at the moment, any musical gear that’s taking up your attention lately?

JO- Haha, yes I am. However, when it comes to my production of music I really take a minimalist approach. My philosophy is to keep my setup simple and try to really thoroughly learn the tools that I work with and make the most out of them. I did get the Maschine from Native Instruments a while ago though thinking it would be a cool addition, but it just ended up sitting on my desk collecting dust.

Your take on new age Progressive House is pretty much different to what’s playing from under the genre by other Dj/Producers. Is this still pretty much following on the foot steps of the giant Pryda label music sensibilities?

JO- Even though guys like Eric, Sasha and John Digweed have been major influences of mine I’ve always tried to leave it at that; them being an influence. I try to create a sound that I can proudly call my own, fit in my DJ sets and offer something that I feel is unique and hasn’t already been done.

You’re having quite a season traveling all over the world more than ever, can you give us your best club experience and any festival that you loved in terms of crowd, vibe and sound systems recently?

JO- Tough question because pretty much every show has been great. There are two that stand out though. For festivals, I have to say Mysterland USA. I played the Sunday School Stage back to back with Fehrplay and the stage production, the vibe and crowd was amazing. Even though it was in America it felt like a European festival. The location was Bethel Woods, which is where Woodstock was held back in the day. That added to it as well. As far as clubs, Beta in Denver was super cool. Played there for the first time and the sound system is one of the best I’ve ever heard.

What keeps your feet planted in Sweden, do you think the electronic dance music scene there as fertile?

JO- We’ve always had a really good underground scene. Even though it’s been small it’s been innovative and healthy. Nowadays when the scene has so much attention and people have broken through to the mainstream the amount of shows have gone up and they’ve become a lot bigger. I think some of the best DJs and producers in the world come from Sweden but I would love to see some more variety in terms of more Progressive and Tech guys maybe. Would be a cool compliment to the big room sound that’s so dominant right now. It’s definitely fertile though and there are new guys and girls that I hear making great stuff all the time.

As a producer do you consciously like to keep it melodic and bright?

JO- I love melodies and creating them is a really fun aspect of producing. They’re what strike an emotional chord with me when I listen to music and others too I think. More than anything I just think my sound and the music I make is the result of the people that have and still influence me like Eric, John and Sasha.

How’s your other project ”Dhillon”, coming along, last time we chatted you had mentioned there’s stuff you’re doing through it. Mainly we see a release ”Lost”, on the Drumcode label. Where was your head at, while making this track?

JO- Dhillon is doing great in his dark cave. I love Techno and making drum-oriented tracks just as much as I do making melodies and he allows expression of that kind of sound. Yes, that’s right. “Lost” just recently came out on Drumcode and their compilation A-Sides. Truly an honor for Dhillon to release stuff on there. It’s one of the most special and influential Techno labels out there. We have some cool stuff lined up for Dhillon going forward and I look forward to further developing it.

How’s your buddy Fehrplay doing, enjoying yourselves out there?

JO- He’s doing great! He doesn’t live in Sweden though. He’s from Norway originally but lives in London now. We played EDC in Las Vegas and Mysteryland together and he was all smiles as usual.

Happy to return with sLick for a quick tour this July, what are you going to do differently as opposed to your previous outings..can we look forward to your new releases being played out at the gigs?

JO- Very happy to be back in India with this mini-tour! With my mother being Indian, it feels extra special to play there, explore the scene and introduce more people to my sound. Had a really good time last time and this time around it’s going to be even better. I’ve managed to stay productive on the road and have some time to finish what I’ve been working on now that I’m home for a little bit, so you can definitely expect to hear new stuff from me!

Your top 3 favorites tunes?

JO- I’ll give you three that aren’t dance music just to spice things up a bit.

Yung Lean – Yoshi Drake – 0 to 100, A$AP Mob – Hella Hoes

How’s your music been received in the recent North American tour, is the crowd there receptive to the Olander motto of creating a journey and not just go bang bang from the word go?

JO- To be honest, I was nervous when I went there first time just because I didn’t know what reaction to expect from the crowds and what they expected from me. Kind of like when you start dating a new girl and don’t know each other all too well. Turned out my worries were unfounded and people really do understand my style and appreciated what I do.

There’s of course a lot of people that are just as educated in America as they are in Europe and it’s cool to play for them together with people that have recently discovered dance music and are just starting to dip their feet in the culture. It creates a really great energy because when something is new and fresh, you tend to me more excited about it.

How’s the Jeremy Olander plan looking like for the rest of 2014?

JO- In addition to visiting you guys I’ll be playing some shows in Africa, Ibiza, Creamfields in the UK and Electric Zoo in New York. Music-wise, I’m prepping a big comeback EP on Pryda Friends. With my most recent release on the label being “Bandersnatch”that came out in late 2013, it feels like it’s been forever and I’m very excited for what feels like a homecoming.

It’s going to have variety of tracks ranging from fan favorites that people have been wanting me to release for some time as well as new, completely fresh stuff. Have more projects in terms of releases lined up that I’m excited about but can’t really disclose more details at this point. Stay tuned! 🙂

Are you ready to be adventurous and sample some spicy Indian curry this time around?

JO- I definitely am! Love spicy food.

sLick! Turns 3 celebrations in association with VH1, shows off the Olander magic at these cities-